Golf remains one of the most popular sports in America. According to Golf Digest, there are nearly 26 million people who hit the links every year in the United States alone.

It may also surprise you to know that their research shows that more beginners are coming from the millennials' age group than any other. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a newbie, having the right golf clubs makes all the difference between an ace and a mulligan.

Golf Club Reviews

Want to "Play Better and Have Fun"? Do you like shopping at family-owned businesses? If you answered "yes" to both of these questions, you may be interested in buying your golf clubs at Austad's. In business for more than 50 years, this South Dakota-based retailer aims to bring golf's best products to its customers - at the best prices.

Austad's hopes to earn your business with their "Triple Guarantee": service, fit, and low price. Like some of the retailers we reviewed, they allow customers to try out clubs and return them in used condition if they're not a good match. However, Austad's does limit that period to 20 days (compared with 30 days offered by competitors), and you will also have to pay a 20% restocking fee. Also, your return
will only
be an exchange or store credit, not a refund.

If you should find a lower price on your golf clubs at another retailer, Austad's will match the price before you place your order or refund the difference if you make the match request within 14 days of your purchase.

So, how should you go about finding the right golf clubs for your game? Start with one of three options: Shop by Type, Shop by Player, or Shop by Brand. Whichever one you select, you'll find a range of options on the left side of the page, to help narrow down what you need according to these criteria:

Category

Manufacturer

Price

Size

Bounce

Flex

Grind

Hand

Length

Loft

Model

Shaft

Color

Once you've selected a golf club that interests you, you can add it to your wish list or add it to a list to compare with other products. Be sure to choose your options from the dropdown boxes (for example hand, loft, flex, shaft).

Austad's has a solid reputation: an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and numerous positive customer reviews that compliment the company for quality service, competitive pricing, and following through on their Triple Guarantee when needed.

Although we'd like to see their playability guarantee changed to match up with their competition (such as a longer period of time and no restocking fee), Austad's does a great job of keeping customers happy with a broad selection of golf clubs, price match guarantee, and overall attention to their customers. We recommend them for your next purchase of golf clubs.

Golf Outlets of America has one mission: "to provide golfers in America and around the world the best possible value golf equipment". Along with golf clubs, they also offer apparel, accessories, bags and more.

Selection at Golf Outlets is quite limited. At the time of our review, they were offering approximately 80 different clubs for men, both right- and left-handed. In women's clubs, they only offered right-handed options, and only nine different clubs at that. For juniors, the selection was less than two dozen. The available brands were also slim: Confidence, Forgan, Palm Springs, and Lind were the only brands, with
no familiar names like Callaway or Titleist.

Golf Outlets also doesn't seem to have any particular expertise when it comes to the sport. They have no brick-and-mortar locations, no helpful blog offering insights on equipment or technique, and no opportunities to order custom clubs.

You probably won't save money shopping at Golf Outlets, either. We found no options for free shipping, although their fine print does say that some items may ship for free. Shipping starts at $6.99 for UPS Ground. We also found that other online retailers of golf clubs tend to have Golf Outlets beat; unfortunately, Golf Outlets doesn't offer any kind of price match that would help them be more competitive with other
sellers. Finally, while you can return your purchases within 30 days of your order, you should expect to pay a 20% restocking fee.

As we could see in the store's URL, Golf Outlets USA is operated by Shop247, which has an A+ rating as an accredited business with the BBB. However, we weren't quite so impressed with the customer complaints we found that referred to poor quality of items received (both through the Golf Outlets site and that of Shop247), difficulties contacting customer service and getting an acceptable resolution, and so forth.

With so many retailers of golf clubs on the market, Golf Outlets fails to impress. You're more likely to find what you need - and at better prices - with one of the higher-ranked businesses in our review.

Every golfer can benefit from starting with a club fitting: a one-on-one session with a certified specialist who can match the right equipment to an individual's height, swing speed, and average trajectory. For those who don't have access to such professionals in their area, there are even services online that allow golfers to enter their basic body measurements and performance statistics to determine the
best drivers, putters, and wedges for their unique style.

If you already know exactly what you need, consider shopping for your golf clubs online. You'll find the very same equipment offered in local pro shops, but often at a significant savings. And, of course, most of these online retailers carry an extensive line of extras, such as bags, balls, shoes and other apparel, making it a time-saving one-stop-shop for all of your golfing must-haves.

When considering the various stores that offer golf clubs, there are several factors to keep in mind as you shop:

Product Availability: How many golf clubs does the store carry? Do they offer many different brands or just a select few? How wide is their selection of accessories?

Price: How do the prices compare with other online retailers and your local golf shop? Is shipping included? Are there any discounts or membership plans available that could save you a little more?

Reputation: What is the business' track record with respect to customer service? Are customers typically satisfied with both the shopping experience and the quality of the golf clubs they buy? Is the company accredited by the Better Business Bureau?

TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best Golf Club stores available today. We hope these reviews help you find the right golf clubs for your next trip down the fairway!

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